Does anyone else have this Problem with Algae Wafers?

I've got a pleco & some corys so I add about a half of Algae round in the tank, I crush it up into smaller pieces, because my other Fish (mollies) like to STEAL it. Tonight I put in a little extra & about 30 minutes later my tank Smelt soooo bad! now when I was first cycling this happened, but not really since. Earlier today I checked water all parameters were great. It's been fully cycled for a few weeks now. Did my weekly water change, rinsed filter, wiped down walls with a sponge, vaccumed the gravel, I have rocks not sand. Does anyone else get this smell with these algae wafers? I'm starting to wonder if it's being trapped beneath my rocks. Or maybe I'm feeding too much of it, I usually sprinkle a little flake up top to keep mollies busy then hurry & throw in wafer pieces while they are distracted, & then once a week they get frozen blood worms. Is 1/2 a round of Algae wafer too much per day?

 

What brand of algae wafers? I've heared api brand can stink pretty bad quickly but I've never noticed any bad smell from hikari wafers or any others I've used tbh.Of course any food will stink eventually if it's gone uneaten.Blood worms can get pretty rough if theres any rotting away in your tank.

 

Likening the odor to when you were cycling makes me think it's ammonia. No idea why it would smell a half hour after feeding. Or does it smell like the algae wafer itself? My algae wafers smell like algae and fish. I know, what you'd expect. If I leave the top off the container accidentally I will smell the fish and algae in the air around the tank until I close it. It's pretty pungent but that tells me it's good stuff. If it smells bad maybe it went foul?

 

Is it within use by date? I use NLS Algaemax wafers and they can last hours without creating a bad small. Food trapped under rocks can create a pretty bad smell.

 

What brand of algae wafers? I've heared api brand can stink pretty bad quickly but I've never noticed any bad smell from hikari wafers or any others I've used tbh.Of course any food will stink eventually if it's gone uneaten.Blood worms can get pretty rough if theres any rotting away in your tank.

It's Aqueon Algae Rounds they were $6.99 there was only 1 other type available at the time and it was a small pouch I can't remember the brand.

 

Likening the odor to when you were cycling makes me think it's ammonia. No idea why it would smell a half hour after feeding. Or does it smell like the algae wafer itself? My algae wafers smell like algae and fish. I know, what you'd expect. If I leave the top off the container accidentally I will smell the fish and algae in the air around the tank until I close it. It's pretty pungent but that tells me it's good stuff. If it smells bad maybe it went foul?

So last night when I smelt it the first thing I did was think "oh no ammonia" so I checked it & the tube came back yellow. I also checked the date & it's good. I put in an extra chunk last night, so am thinking it was just too much. The smell lightened by this morning. It's just weird that these wafers do that lol. It a fishy smell. Like warm fish food almost.

 

Trying doing a thorough vac of the gravel with your siphon.

Then remove the lid and wipe down the top inner rim and the inside of the lid.

This might clear up the smell.

 

We use the TetraPro brand from Amazon. No known issues for us.

 

I use Xtreme aquatics Cat Scrappers and they smell horrible. Within 30 mins. So bad that I used to check my 2 year olds diaper until I finally figured out what the smell was from. The fish love them but they smell like poo!

 

Think this gravel definitely will end up in a large quantity not being eaten cause it is getting out of reach for the fish.

Off topic : Algaewafers aren't good staplefood for Corys (they're mainly on the carnivorious side). Also the substrate isn't that for Corys cause of food getting oiotmof reach quite easy. Think about making somekind of sandbeach on which you can feed and they can scavage.

 

Trying doing a thorough vac of the gravel with your siphon.

Then remove the lid and wipe down the top inner rim and the inside of the lid.

This might clear up the smell.

I cleaned the top, gravel vaccumed, had to replace about 5.5 gallons of water. And rinsed the filter. Smell is gone!